The total number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases among healthcare workers has reached 6,735, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.
Of the said figure, 6,070 or 90 per cent have already recovered while 625 are active cases or still getting treatment.
The DOH noted that of the active cases, 407 are mild cases, 213 are asymptomatic, three are severe cases while two are in critical condition.
Forty healthcare workers have already died due to the dreaded illness, the DOH said.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that 26 or 65 percent of the total deaths among medical workers were physicians.
“The doctors have a higher number doon sa mga namatay. Actually, doctors would comprise about 65 percent among the total deaths of healthcare workers,” said Vergeire during a press briefing.
Some of the doctors who died had comorbidities, said the Health official.
“This is most common but I'm not saying that everybody has comorbidity. But most of those who died, they have comorbidities,” said Vergeire.
“So, meron silang sakit sa puso, meron silang sakit sa bato--liver problem. Ito po yung mga commonly na nakita natin dito sa mga doctors na namatay especially at that age 60 to 69 years old [So, they have heart disease, they have kidney disease, or liver problem. These are the ones we commonly see among doctors who died especially at that age 60 to 69 years old,” she added.
Vergeire said that they have also extended the financial assistance for those medical workers who had contracted the severe form of COVID-19 and to the families or heirs of those deceased.
“We were already able to issue (cheques) for severe and critical (cases), alam natin binibigyan sila ng P100,000 as soon as we verify kung talagang yun yung status nila . For severe and critical cases, we're already able to release 36 cheques,” she said.
“Ito naman sa deaths, meron na tayong 31 na na-release na for the P1 million for the cheques of these healthcare workers ,” she added.